List of University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee people

This is a list of people who attended, or taught at, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, including those who attended Milwaukee State Normal School, Wisconsin State Teacher’s College, Wisconsin State College–Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Extension Center in Milwaukee:

Notable alumni

Academics

Larry N. Vanderhoef, chancellor of University of California, Davis

• George R. Blumenthal (B.S. Physics), astrophysicist, the 10th chancellor of University of California, Santa Cruz
• Christopher Bratton (1994 MFA Film), President of School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, former president of the San Francisco Art Institute
• Robert R. Caldwell (1992 Ph.D. Physics), Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College, Fellow of the American Physical Society
• Juan Carlos Campuzano (1978 Ph.D. Physics), fellow of American Physical Society; 2011 Buckley Prize winner; Argonne distinguished fellow; distinguished professor of physics at University of Illinois, Chicago
• Carlos Castillo-Chavez (1977 MS Mathematics), Regents and Joaquin Bustoz Jr. Professor at Arizona State University; fellow of American Mathematical Society
• Alok R. Chaturvedi (1989 Ph.D. MIS), professor of MIS at Purdue University; founder and director of Krannert School of Management SEAS Laboratory
• James Elsner (1988 Ph.D.), Earl and Sophia Shaw Professor of Geography at Florida State University
• Keith Hamm (1977 PhD Political Science), Edwards Professor of Political Science at Rice University
• William D. Haseman (MBA in MIS), Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of MIS at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
• James G. Henderson (M.A. Education ), professor of education at Kent State University, creator of 3S Understanding curriculum structure
• Gary Hoover (1993 B.A. economics), Chair of Economics Department at University of Oklahoma
• George L. Kelling (M.S.W.), professor of criminal justice at Rutgers University
• Jack Kilby (1950 M.S. Electronic Engineering ), Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics 2000, inventor of the Integrated Circuit.
• Oded Lowengart (PhD Marketing), professor of marketing at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel
• Justin Marlowe (2004 PhD Political Science), Endowed Professor of Public Finance and associate dean at University of Washington, fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration
• Laura Mersini-Houghton (2000 PhD Physics), theoretical physicist-cosmologist and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• James Otteson (1992 MA Philosophy), philosopher
• Prakash Panangaden (PhD), fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, founding chair of the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Logic and Computation
• Marilyn Rantz (1992 Ph.D. Nursing), Living Legend of the American Academy of Nursing 2020
• Havidan Rodriguez (1986 MA Sociology), sociologist, 20th president of the University at Albany, SUNY
• Jeanne W. Ross (PhD MIS), organizational theorist and Principal Research Scientist at MIT Sloan School of Management; Director of MIT Sloan School’s Center for Information Systems Research
• Eileen Schwalbach (PhD Urban Education), 11th President of Mount Mary College
• Jean Schwarzbauer (BS Chemistry), Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University
• Eugenie Scott (BS, MS), physical anthropologist, executive director of the National Center for Science Education
• Robert M. Stein (1977 PhD), Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science at Rice University, former Dean of Rice University School of Social Sciences
• Jerry Straka (1986 MS Geophysical Sciences), tornado expert
• Ron Tanner (1989 PhD American Literature), professor of writing at Loyola University Maryland, two-term president of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs
• Aaron Twerski (BS Philosophy)(born 1939), the Irwin and Jill Cohen Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, as well as a former Dean and professor of tort law at Hofstra University School of Law
• Larry N. Vanderhoef (M.S. Biology), 5th chancellor of University of California, Davis.
• Wayne A. Wiegand (1970 MA History), library historian, author, and academic.
• Ahmed I. Zayed (1979 PhD), mathematician, chair and professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, DePaul University

Architecture and urban planning

• Will Bruder (BA Fine Art), architect
• Andres Mignucci (1979 BS Arch), FAIA, architect and urbanist, fellow of the American Institute of Architects
• Thomas Vonier (1974, M.Arch.), FAIA, RIBA, Paris-based architect, founding president of the Continental Europe chapter of American Institute of Architects, president of the International Union of Architects

Business

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft Corporation

• Steven Burd (1973 MA Economics), retired president and CEO of Safeway Inc.
• Steven Davis (1980 BA Business), CEO of Bob Evans Restaurants; former president of Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants
• Roger Fitzsimonds (1960 BA Business, '71 MBA Finance), retired chairman and CEO, Firstar Corp (now U.S. Bank)
• Dennis R. Glass (1971 BA Business, '73 MBA), president and CEO of Lincoln National Corporation
• David Herro (1985 MA Economics), Morningstar International Stock Fund Manager of the Decade, Republican donor
• Albert Beckford Jones (MA), chief advisor to the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation
• Gale E. Klappa (1972 BBA Communication), chairman, president and CEO of Wisconsin Energy Corporation
• Dennis J. Kuester (1966 BBA), former chairman and CEO of Marshall & Ilsley Corporation; member of the Federal Reserve Advisory Council
• William H. Lacy Jr. (1968, BBA), former president and chief executive officer, MGIC Investment Corp.
• Satya Nadella (1990 MS Computer Science), CEO of Microsoft
• Keith Nosbusch (MBA), president and CEO of Rockwell Automation, formerly Rockwell International
• Richard Notebaert (1983, MBA), former chairman and CEO, Qwest Communications International, Inc., and Ameritech
• Jack F. Reichert (1957), former president of Brunswick Corp.
• Deven Sharma (1980 MS, Industrial Engineering), former executive and president of Standard & Poor's
• James L. Ziemer (1975 BBA, 1986 EMBA), former president and CEO of Harley-Davidson, Inc.
• Edward J. Zore (1968 BS Economics, 1970 MS Economics), president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual

Fine arts and pop culture

Willem Dafoe, AmericanAmerican actor

Trixie Mattel, drag artist and musician

Film, television and performing arts

• Pamela Britton, Broadway, film and television actress (D.O.A.; My Favorite Martian)
• Frank Caliendo (1996 BA, Mass Communication-Broadcast Journalism), comedian
• Willem Dafoe (1974), actor
• Angna Enters, dancer, mime, painter, writer, novelist and playwright
• Jed Allen Harris (1974 BFA), stage director
• Tom Hewitt (1981 Professional Theatre Training Program), Broadway performer; 2001 Tony Award nominee for best actor in Rocky Horror Show
• Scott Jaeck (1977 BS, Architecture), television and stage actor
• Trixie Mattel (2012 BFA, Music, Inter-Arts), drag queen, singer-songwriter, comedian and television personality
• Jim Rygiel (1977 BFA, Painting and Drawing), Oscar winner of digital effects for Lord of the Rings
• Tina Salaks, author, former ASPCA officer, star of Animal Precinct on Animal Planet
• Bryan W. Simon (1979 BA, Political Science), film and stage director
• Chris M. Smith (1999 MFA, Film), filmmaker and founder of Bluemark Production and ZeroTV.com
• Ray Szmanda, television personality

Music

• Naima Adedapo (2007 BFA, Dance), American Idol finalist
• Victor DeLorenzo, drummer for Violent Femmes
• Herschel Burke Gilbert, (1939) composer of film and television theme songs
• Frederick Hemke (1961 BS, Music Education), saxophonist
• Guy Hoffman (1978 BFA, Art), drummer and vocalist, former Violent Femmes and BoDeans member
• Andy Hurley (2014 BA, Committee Interdiciplinary), drummer for Fall Out Boy
• Jerome Kitzke (1978 BFA, Music), composer
• Willie Pickens (1958 BS Music Education), jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator
• Jessica Suchy-Pilalis, harpist, Byzantine singer and composer
• Warren Wiegratz (1968 BBA), saxophonist, leader of the band Streetlife

Visual arts

• Ruth Asawa (1998 BFA, Art Education), Japanese American sculptor, a driving force behind the creation of Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts
• Thomasita Fessler (1935 BA), painter
• Michelle Grabner (1984 BFA Art, 1987 MA Art History), painter
• Hanna Jubran (1980 BFA Art, 1983 MFA Sculpture), sculptor
• Denis Kitchen (1968 BS, Mass Communications-Journalism), underground comics artist, publisher, author, founder of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
• Dennis Kois (1995, BA), museum designer (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian); Director, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Boston, MA
• David Lenz (1963 BA, Spanish), painter
• Geo Rutherford (2021, MFA), printmaker, book artist, and TikToker
• Jan Serr (1968 MFA, Art), visual artist
• Roy Staab (1968 BFA, Art), artist
• Donald George Vogl (1958 MS, Art Education), artist, retired professor of art at University of Notre Dame

Journalism and public media

Dorothy Fuldheim, journalist and anchor, "First Lady of Television News"

Raquel Rutledge, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

• Maureen Bunyan, television journalist, lead co-anchor at WJLA-TV
• Milton Coleman (1968 BFA), deputy managing editor of The Washington Post, president of Inter American Press Association; former president of American Society of News Editors
• Dorothy Fuldheim, journalist and anchor, "First Lady of Television News"
• John K. Iglehart (1961 Journalism), founding editor of Health Affairs
• Derrick Zane Jackson, opinion columnist/associate editor for the Boston Globe
• Marc Jampole, public relations executive; former television news reporter
• Ross A. Lewis (1923), Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist
• Jim Ott, WTMJ-TV meteorologist; Wisconsin state representative
• Scott Shuster (B.A. in Mass Communication), broadcast journalist
• Peter James Spielmann (BA, Journalism), international desk editor for Associated Press; professor of journalism at Columbia
• Raquel Rutledge (1990 Journalism), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
• Terry Zahn, television reporter and anchorman

Literature

• Emily Ballou, Australian-American poet, novelist and screenwriter
• Sandra Tabatha Cicero, author
• José Dalisay, Jr. (1988 Ph.D English), writer, poet, playwright
• John Gurda (1978 MA Cultural Geography), writer and narrator of The Making of Milwaukee; eight-time winner of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Award of Merit
• Ellen Hunnicutt, writer, Drue Heinz Literature Prize winner
• Adrienne L. Kaeppler, anthropologist, curator of Oceanic Ethnology at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution
• Caroline Knox, poet
• Marie Kohler (1979 MA English Literature), writer and playwright; member of the Kohler family of Wisconsin
• James Lowder (1999, MA Literary Studies), author and editor
• Mary Rose O'Reilley, poet, Walt Whitman Award recipient
• Lynne Rae Perkins (1991 MA), Newbery Award-winning writer
• Virginia Satir (1936 BA Education), author and psychotherapist
• Gordon Weaver, novelist and short-story writer, O. Henry Award recipient

Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel

Luis E. Arreaga, United States Ambassador to Guatemala

Alberto Fujimori, 90th President of Peru

Politics and government

• Luis E. Arreaga, U.S. Ambassador to Iceland, U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala
• Peter W. Barca, U.S. Congressman and Wisconsin State Representative from Kenosha
• Jeannette Bell, Wisconsin State Representative, mayor of West Allis, Wisconsin
• Tim Carpenter, Wisconsin State Senator from Milwaukee
• Spencer Coggs, (1976 BS Community Education), Wisconsin State Senator, 2003–2013; Treasurer of the City of Milwaukee
• Dennis Conta, politician and consultant, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue
• Alberta Darling, Wisconsin State Representative 1990-92, Wisconsin State Senator, 1992–present from River Hills
• John E. Douglas, former special agent of U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), one of the first criminal profilers, and criminal psychology author
• Alberto Fujimori, (1972 MS Mathematics), President of Peru, 1990–2000
• Eric Genrich, Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin State Representative
• Randall Gnant, (1967 BS History and Political Science), Arizona State Senate, 1995–2003; Senate President 2001–2003
• Richard Grobschmidt, Wisconsin State Senate (1995–2003); Wisconsin State Assembly (1985–1995)
• Jeff Halper (Ph.D. in Cultural and Applied Anthropology), anthropologist, political activist, co-founder and director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
• Nikiya Harris Dodd, Wisconsin State Senator from Milwaukee
• Zuhdi Jasser, President and founder of American Islamic Forum for Democracy
• Jerry Kleczka, U.S. Congressman 1984–2005
• Chris Larson, Wisconsin State Senator from Milwaukee
• Mary Lazich, President of the Wisconsin State Senate
• Henry Maier (1964 MA Political Science), Milwaukee mayor 1960–1988
• Golda Meir (1917, Education), fourth Prime Minister of Israel; one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel
• Robert J. Modrzejewski (1957 BS Education), U.S. Marine Colonel (retired), Medal of Honor from President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968
• Paa Kwesi Nduom, former Minister for Economic Planning & Regional Cooperation, Energy, and Public Sector Reform of Republic of Ghana
• Jim Ott, Wisconsin State Representative from Mequon
• Rudolph T. Randa, Article III federal judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
• Jim Risch, U.S. Senator from Idaho
• Margaret A. Rykowski, U.S. Navy admiral
• Karen Sasahara, U.S. ambassadors to Jordan, Consul General in Jerusalem
• Dawn Marie Sass, Treasurer of Wisconsin 2007–2011
• Brad Schimel (1987 BA Political Science), the 44th Wisconsin Attorney General
• Martin E. Schreiber, assemblyman and Milwaukee alderman, father of Martin J. Schreiber
• Martin J. Schreiber (1960, 3+3 Program), 38th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin and 39th Governor of Wisconsin
• Steve Sisolak (1974, BS Business), 30th Governor of Nevada
• Lawrence H. Smith, congressman from Racine
• Jim Steineke, Wisconsin State Representative from Kaukauna
• Lena Taylor (1990, English), Wisconsin state senator; elected to Assembly in April 2003 special election; elected to Senate 2004
• Wayne F. Whittow, Wisconsin senator, City Treasurer of Milwaukee
• Brian E. Winski，United States Army Major general, commander of the 101st Airborne Division

Science and technology

• Michael Dhuey, electrical and computer engineer, co-inventor of the Macintosh II and the iPod
• Luther Graef (1961 MS Structural Engineering), Founder of Graef Anhalt Schloemer & Associates Inc. and former president of American Society of Civil Engineers
• Justin Jacobs (2005 MS Mathematics), recipient of Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
• Phil Katz (1984, BS Computer Science), computer programmer known as the author of PKZIP
• Jack Kilby (1950 MS Electrical Engineering), engineer
• Satya Nadella (MS Computer Science), CEO of Microsoft
• Gustavo R. Paz-Pujalt (1985 PhD Physical Chemistry), scientist and inventor
• Cheng Xu (1997 Ph.D Turbomachinery), aerodynamic design engineer, American Society of Mechanical Engineers fellow
• Scott Yanoff (1993 BS Computer Science), Internet pioneer

Sports

Athletes

• Christine Boskoff, world-class mountaineer, reached more record summits than any other female in history
• Tighe Dombrowski, MLS soccer player
• Ricky Franklin, American basketball player
• Don Gramenz, Minnesota Thunder defender
• Sarah Hagen, American footballer of FC Kansas City United States women's national soccer team
• Demetrius Harris, NFL football player, tight end of Kansas City Chiefs
• Chris Hill, Spirou Basket Charleroi basketball player
• P. J. Johns, soccer goalkeeper, member of the United States national futsal team
• Ken Kranz, NFL football player
• Alan Kulwicki (1977 BS Mechanical Engineering), 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup champion, was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers and was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame

Alan Kulwicki, NASCAR Winston Cup champion, inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame

• Manny Lagos, MLS soccer player; U.S. Olympian
• Greg Mahlberg, MLB baseball player
• Paul Meyers, professional football player
• Clem Neacy, NFL football player
• Dylan Page, Chorale Roanne Basket basketball player in France
• Allison Pottinger (MBA Marketing), curler; 2003 gold medalist and 2006 silver medalist at the World Curling Championships
• Mike Reinfeldt (1975 BA Business), NFL All-Pro defensive back, General Manager of Tennessee Titans, former Seattle Seahawks Chief Financial Officer
• Tony Sanneh, MLS soccer player; United States men's national soccer team and U.S. World Cup team member
• George H. Sutton, professional billiard player, the "handless billiard player"
• Clay Tucker basketball player
• Joventut Badalona basketball player
• Daulton Varsho MLB baseball player
• Mitchell Whitmore, speed skater
• Whitey Wolter, NFL football player

Coaches and referees

• Jimmy Banks (1987 Education), Milwaukee School of Engineering men's soccer team head coach
• Bill Carollo (1974 BBA Industrial Relations), NFL referee
• Sasho Cirovski (1985 BBA, 1989 MBA), University of Maryland men's soccer team head coach
• Warren Giese, South Carolina Gamecocks football head coach
• Jeff Rohrman, UW–Madison men's soccer team head coach
• Bruce Weber (1978 BA Education), Kansas State University men's basketball head coach

Others

• Lynde Bradley Uihlein (MS Social Welfare), philanthropist
• Clara Stanton Jones, the first African-American president of the American Library Association and the first African-American director of a major city public library in the United States
• Patricia Wells (BA Journalism), cookbook author

Notable faculty

• Bruce Allen, physicist and professor, fellow of American Physical Society and fellow of Institute of Physics (UK)
• David Backes, author; professor in journalism, advertising, and media studies
• Anne Basting, professor of theater and expert on aging, dementia and the arts; 2016 MacArthur Fellowship winner
• Robert J. Beck, scholar of international law
• Sandra Braman, former professor of communication (no longer at UW-M)
• Y. Austin Chang, former professor and department chair of material engineering; elected member of the National Academy of Engineering; elected foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; fellow of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society; fellow of ASM International
• Francis D.K. Ching, professor of architecture, known for architectural and design graphics
• Cecelia Condit, video artist, professor in film, video, animation and new genres
• Melvyn Dubofsky, professor of history and sociology
• Rebecca Dunham, poet, professor of English
• Hugo O. Engelmann, sociologist, anthropologist and general systems theorist
• Millicent (Penny) Ficken, – ornithologist who specialized in birds' vocalizations and their social behaviors
• Louis Fortis, economist; state legislator; newspaper editor and publisher
• Jane Gallop, writer, University distinguished professor
• Al Ghorbanpoor, civil engineer and professor, fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers
• Maria Goranova, professor of management
• Robert G. Greenler, physicist, former president of Optical Society of America in 1987
• Martin Haberman, educator, University distinguished professor
• John Brian Harley, professor of geography
• William D. Haseman, Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of Business
• Ihab Hassan, Vilas Research Professor of English and comparative literature
• Thomas Hubka, professor of architecture
• Richard Klein, paleoanthropologist
• Mark L. Knapp, professor of communication
• John Koethe, professor of philosophy, poet and essayist
• Markos Mamalakis, economist and professor
• Christina Maranci, former associate professor, expert on the history and development of Armenian architecture
• Kenneth J. Meier, political scientist
• Jim Moody, federal government economist 1967-1969, US Congressman 1979-1982, former associate professor of economics
• Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam Associate Professor of Political Science, later Labour Member of the British Parliament and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• Satish Nambisan, professor of entrepreneurship & technology management, Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business; professor of industrial & manufacturing engineering, College of Engineering & Applied Science; author, The Global Brain.
• Harold L. Nieburg, political scientist
• Leonard Parker, physicist and professor, fellow of American Physical Society
• Brett Peters, industrial engineer, fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science
• Stephen Pevnick, inventor of Graphical Waterfall, professor of art
• Amos Rapoport, University Distinguished Professor of Architecture
• Pradeep Rohatgi, Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of Engineering
• Herbert H. Rowen, historian of Early Modern Europe
• Richard P. Smiraglia, knowledge organization
• Leonard Sorkin, violinist
• William H. Starbuck, organizational scientist
• Anastasios Tsonis, distinguished professor of mathematical science
• Hiroomi Umezawa, physicist and former Distinguished Professor at the Department of Physics
• Harriet Werley, professor of nursing; charter fellow and a Living Legend of the American Academy of Nursing; fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics; founding editor of Research in Nursing and Health; co-creator of the Nursing Minimum Data Set

University chancellors

• Mark Mone (2014–present)
• Michael Lovell (2010–2014)
• Carlos E. Santiago (2004–2010)
• Nancy L. Zimpher (1998–2003)
• John H. Schroeder (1991–1998)
• Clifford V. Smith, Jr. (1985–1990)
• Frank E. Horton (1980–1985)
• Werner A. Baum (1973–1979)
• J. Martin Klotsche (1956–1973)